Mahishasuramardini, Durga as the Slayer of the Buffalo-demon
Primary TitleDurga
CultureIndian
Date16th century
MediumGreenstone
DimensionsOverall: 48 inches (121.92 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number34-3
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 227
Collections
Exhibition HistoryNo known additional exhibition history known at this time.
Durga is the supreme mother goddess of the Hindu tradition. In one of the most famous stories associated with Durga, the other Hindu gods ask the goddess to subdue a fierce buffalo-demon who was terrorizing the universe. Many images of Durga depict her in the act of slaying the buffalo-demon, but here her opponent is referenced by the severed buffalo head on the base beneath her feet. In the story, Durga carried many weapons loaned by all the gods. Here she holds Vishnu’s conch and wheel, suggesting that this sculpture may have come from a temple dedicated to Vishnu.
With C. T. Loo & Co., New York, by January 1934;
Purchased from C. T. Loo & Co. by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1934.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kimberly Masteller, Masterworks from India and Southeast Asia: the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kanas City, Missouri: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in association with University of Washington Press, 2016), 70-71, (repro.).
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